Showerless Bathtub Installation Bracket and Method of Installation

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a Showerless Bathtub Installation Bracket and a Method of Installation of using said bracket to install said bathtub. The bracket has horizontal and vertical legs with a guide flange extending outward from the vertical leg then downward towards the horizontal leg thus forming a channel. The vertical flange has holes for attaching the bracket to a wall. The Method of Installation involves disposing one or more of said brackets around a tub by placing the tub&#39;s drip flange within brackets&#39; channels then placing the tub on its support pad(s) on the floor so the drip flange is adjacent to the supporting walls. One adjusts the brackets so they are positioned at the desired places with respect to the walls, engages the upper surface of the horizontal legs of the brackets with the lower surface of the tub&#39;s shelf and fastening the bracket to the walls.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a device for fastening a showerless bathtub to a wall. More particularly, this invention comprises a device that fastens and supports a shower-less bathtub to the studs of a framed room and a method for installing the tub using the claimed device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Bath tubs may be made or installed with or without showers. This invention pertains only to tubs that are made without showers and installed and used without showers.

In addition, the related art pertains to only such tubs that have an integral splash flange on one or more sides. Tubs without such flanges cannot be installed using the installation device and method claimed herein. Additionally, the tub, or at least its splash flange, must be made of a stiff material such as metal as opposed to a flexible material like acrylic.

Tubs are typically installed after the room is framed but before walls are finished. Currently, the installer measures the width of all the walls to which he will attach the tub. He then cuts 2″×4″ pieces of wood (stringers) to length. Next, he places a stringer against the wall studs and horizontal to the floor at a height recommended by the manufacturer of the tub. He then levels the stringer and nails it to the wall studs and repeats the operation for other stringers and walls. While there are usually three walls in an alcove, it is difficult to use three stringers because the pipes that carry water to the faucets and the faucets themselves are in the way.

The tub usually comes with a support pad on the bottom. The top of the tub is surrounded by a shelf that slopes slightly inward towards the water basin of the tub. Usually, the shelf terminates in upturned drip flanges on three sides of the tub. The installer wrestles the tub into position and, if the stringers were place correctly, the tops of the stringers are firmly in contact with the underside of the shelf and the tub is level. The installer than uses a roofing nail to nail the drip flanges to the wall studs. The installer needs wood, nails, hammer, saw, level, ruler and a pencil to install the tub.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is desirable to have a device and method of installation that reduces the installation time, materials and tools needed to install a tub and which allows all the walls to be used for support. Therefore, the object of this invention is a device that will fasten the tub to the wall and a method of installation that employs the claimed device.

The invented device is a single piece tub bracket comprising a horizontal leg, a vertical leg disposed at an angle to said horizontal leg, a guide flange extending outward from said vertical leg and over said horizontal leg and then downward to form a channel between the guide flange and the vertical leg before terminating short of said horizontal leg, and one or more holes suitable for means to fasten the bracket to a supporting wall or walls.

The invented method to install a tub comprises disposing one or more of the invented brackets about the tub's drip flange by placing the drip flange within the channel of each bracket, placing the tub on its support pad(s), on the floor so that the drip flange is adjacent to the supporting wall or walls, adjusting the brackets so they are at the desired place with respect to the wall or walls, engaging the upper surface of the horizontal leg of the bracket with the lower surface of the tub's shelf and using fastening means to attach the bracket and to the wall, and repeating until all of said brackets are attached to the wall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further aid in understanding the invention, the attached drawings help illustrate specific features of the invention and the following is a brief description of the attached drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the invented device.

FIG. 2 is a side cross section of the invented device.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the invented device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the invented device.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a shower-less tub.

FIG. 6 is a side cross section of a shower-less tub

FIG. 7 is a partial side cross section of the invented device and shower-less tub as installed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device and a method for installing a shower-less bathtub. This disclosure describes numerous specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the practice of the present invention includes details other than those described. One skilled in the art will appreciate that one may practice the present invention without these specific details. Additionally, this disclosure does not describe some well known structures in detail in order not to obscure the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the claimed device is best understood by referring the FIGS. 1 through 4.

The bracket is a single object with a horizontal leg 1 and a vertical leg 2. These legs are substantially at right angles. The horizontal leg in the preferred embodiment is 1¼41 wide by ¾″ deep. The vertical leg is 1 1/4″ wide by 1 13/16″ high.

A guide flange 3 extends outward from the vertical leg 2 and thence downward over the horizontal leg 1 forming a channel 3 c between the guide flange 3 and said vertical leg 2. The upper portion 3 a of the guide flange 3 is approximately perpendicular to the vertical leg 2. The side portion 3 b of the guide flange 3 makes a 4 degree angle away from the vertical leg 2 as shown in FIG. 2. The guide flange 3 is 5/16″ long and ⅝″ wide. The top of the guide flange 3 is ½″ from the top of the vertical leg 2 and, in terms of width, is centered in the vertical leg 2. The top portion 3 a of the guide flange 3 protrudes out about 0.065″ from the vertical leg 2 before turning downwards. The hole 4 is a product of the method of making the preferred device and is not part of the claimed invention.

A single fastening hole 5 is provided to attach the device to the wall. The fastening hole 5 is about 5/16″ from the top of the vertical leg 2 and, in terms of width, centered in the vertical leg 2. Anticipating the use of a number 8 screw, the fastening hole is recessed as shown in the Figures. The fastening hole 5 need not be recessed and one or more such holes for various size and type fasteners may be provided at various portions of the vertical leg 2 above the bottom of the guide flange 3.

The preferred embodiment of the bracket has two strengthening ribs 6 located at the acute angle where the horizontal leg 1 and vertical leg 2 meet. The ribs 6 are substantially right triangles whose legs are about 3/16″ long and whose planes are approximately perpendicular to both the horizontal leg 1 and vertical leg 2. One may make a bracket with any number of ribs of various shapes, sizes and orientations. In addition, one may omit the strengthening ribs 6 by using a stiffer and/or thicker materials to form the bracket.

The bracket is made from a single piece of 14 gauge (0.074″) cold roll carbon steel. It is manufactured by using a six stage, progressive die process. When completed, the bracket is zinc plated.

The claimed method of installation is best understood by further referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

A shower-less tub 10 consists of a water basin 11, a shelf 12 surrounding the top of the water basin 11 and from one to four drip flanges 13 extending approximately vertically upward from the shelf 12. The shelf 12 typically has a slight slope inward towards the water basin 11 so that water splashed on the shelf 12 will drain back to the water basin 11. As stated above, the tubs to which this invention applies are made of a stiff material—typically steel.

Most tubs are rectangular and have three drip flanges. However, a sunken tub or a tub surrounded by partial walls may have four and other tubs, designed for other situations may have one or two drip flanges. Further, a tub may be designed to fit in a space with one or more curved wall. In this case, the vertical leg 2 and guide flange 3 must conform to the shape of the drip flange and adjoining wall rather than being flat as shown the figures.

Also shown in FIG. 6 is the support pad 14. Typically made of rigid Styrofoam, the support pad 14 is shaped so that when the tub is place on the floor, the tub is level to within 1/16″ across the long dimension of the tub. The support pad also provides sound and heat insulation. Typically, there is one support pad although there may be more than one.

To install the tub, one places as many brackets as there are wall studs 15 at the appropriate places around the drip flange 13 by engaging the guide flange 3 with the drip flange 13 so the drip flange 13 resides in the channel 3 c as shown in FIG. 7. In a typical installation, there are usually three available wall studs 15 along the back wall and one each available wall stud 15 along the side walls.

Next one places the tub 10 on its support pad 14 in the alcove adjacent to the supporting walls and slides the brackets along the drip flange 13 so they are opposite the corresponding wall studs 15. The installer than pulls up on the bracket so that the upper surface of the horizontal leg is firmly against the lower surface of the shelf and attaches the bracket to the wall stud 15 with a fastener 16. The preferred fastener is a number 8 wood screw, but other screws, nails and bolts may also be used. This process is repeated until all of the brackets are attached to the wall studs 15.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification or practicing the disclosed invention. The specification and examples are exemplary only, with the true scope of the invention being indicated by the following claims: 

1. A single piece shower-less tub bracket comprising: a horizontal leg; a vertical leg disposed at an angle to said horizontal leg; a guide flange extending outward from said vertical leg and over said horizontal leg and then downward to form a channel between said guide flange and said vertical leg before terminating short of said horizontal leg; and one or more holes in said vertical to allow the use of fastening means to fasten the bracket to a supporting wall or walls.
 2. The bracket in claim 1 wherein: said vertical leg is disposed at approximately a right angle to said horizontal leg; said guide flange extends at approximately right angles to said vertical leg and over said horizontal leg and then turning downward at about four degrees less than a right angle to form a channel between said guide flange and said vertical leg before terminating short of said horizontal leg.
 3. The bracket in claim one further comprising one or more strengthening ribs disposed at the angle at the junction between said vertical leg and said horizontal leg that lies below said guide flange.
 4. The bracket in claim two further comprising one or more strengthening ribs disposed at the angle between said vertical leg and said horizontal leg below said guide flange.
 5. A method to use the bracket claimed in claims one, two three or four to install a tub comprising: disposing one or more of said brackets around a tub by placing the tub's drip flange within said channel; placing said tub, on its support pad(s), on the floor so that said drip flange is adjacent to the supporting wall or walls; adjusting said brackets so they are positioned at the desired place with respect to said wall or walls; engaging the upper surface of said horizontal leg of said bracket with the lower surface of said tub's shelf and using fastening means to attach said bracket and said to said wall or walls, and repeating step d until all of said brackets are attached to said wall studs.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said brackets is positioned at the desired place with respect to said wall or walls, and then engaged with the lower surface of said shelf and fastened to said wall before doing the same with the next of said brackets until all of said brackets are fastened to said wall.
 7. The method of claims 5 or 6 wherein the appropriate place with respect to said wall or walls is opposite a wall stud. 